Mailer type business forms must serve a wide variety of customer requirements. Several features that are almost universally desirable include block out for added security, a built-in reply envelope that accepts a conventional size personal check without folding, a statement portion, and a remittance coupon or stub portion for being returned along with the check remittance.
Fourteen-inch, pressure seal Z-fold built-in return envelope products are conventionally imaged on a laser printer in the simplexed mode (one side only). From a print processing standpoint, this is an advantage. However, because the document is simplexed, there is not much space available for variable imaging. These areas generally include room for a statement or invoice, room for a remittance coupon or stub portion, and room to create the return envelope. With conventional three panel documents, one panel is used for the outgoing address panel and the two remaining panels are used to meet the remaining requirements of the mailer. More specifically, on conventional existing pressure seal Z-fold return constructions, the face of the top panel is generally used for both the remittance and the statement or invoice, the middle panel is used to create one side of the return envelope and the bottom is used to create the second side of the return envelope. Pressure seal adhesive or co-adhesive is provided on one and/or the other of the middle panel and bottom panel so that when the Z-fold mailer is formed, the return envelope is simultaneously created. Accordingly, to remit payment, the customer removes the combined statement/remittance portion, severs the remittance stub and inserts it in the reply envelope together with the personal check remittance. A re-wettable adhesive is typically provided on the reply envelope flap, which is folded to the back of the reply envelope to seal the remittance therein.
In the above-described 14 inch, Z-fold return mailer construction, the bottom panel serves a dual purpose. It bears the outgoing address and the side having the outgoing address defines the backside of the return envelope when the mailing is Z-folded. As a result, however, part of the outgoing address is visible on the backside of the return envelope. Some Z-fold mailers have been configured to minimize or eliminate the exposed outgoing address. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,795, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by this reference, provides a construction wherein part of the outgoing address is removed by tearing along a line of weakness and the remaining portion of the outgoing address is obscured or covered when the reply envelope is sealed. Nevertheless, with this and other conventional Z-folds, the return mailer envelope is generally a side open construction or side sealing envelope construction. A top open or top sealing construction is not possible with this pressure Z-fold construction simply because there is a lack of space.
It would therefore be desirable to provide an intermediate for a business form mailer that may be simplex printed, that provides a return envelope that includes address information on only the front face thereof to avoid post office confusion, and that provides a top open/sealing return envelope construction for increased customer acceptance, and finally that can accommodate a personal check in the return envelope without folding.
According to the present invention, an intermediate for a mailer type business form and the mailer itself are provided which achieves the objectives set forth above. The intermediate comprises a single quadrate sheet of paper, which may be easily run through a printer to print indicia on either one or both faces. In an exemplary embodiment, the outgoing address and the reply address are printed on different faces of the intermediate and thus where adapted to printing in the simplexed mode, only the outgoing address is variably printed. The intermediate may be easily C-Z-folded to form the final mailer and sealed by conventional techniques. The mailer is easy to open and the reply envelope is easy to utilize.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the face of the document has four equal panels, one panel, for example the top panel, is provided as the face of the outgoing mail piece. A second face of the first panel preferably has block out for added security. In the alternative, the back face may have preprinted advertisement or instructional indicia. A second panel, for example, one of two intermediate panels is provided to define the invoice being sent to the end user and includes a copy for the user to retain and a copy for being returned. The back or second face of the second panel may provide additional instructions, a form for completing change of address information or block out for added security. The second panel advantageously includes a right angle perforation to facilitate separation of the customer copy of the invoice from the remittance copy for being returned with the end user""s payment. The second panel also has an extra parallel perforation for defining a closure flap for the return envelope. A third panel, for example, the second intermediate panel advantageously contains block out on the first face thereof for defining the inside of a preconstructed return envelope. The back of this panel may have block out for additional security for both the original outgoing mail piece as well as for the returned envelope. In the alternative, the back of this panel may include advertising or other informational indicia. A fourth panel, for example, the bottom panel has block out on the first face thereof for defining the inside of the return envelope. The back or second face of this panel is pre-imprinted with the sender""s address as a reply address for the outgoing addressee""s payment to be mailed back to the sender. The intermediate of the invention is C-Z folded by, starting from the bottom, first folding the fourth panel onto the third panel to form a preconstructed return envelope. The second fold brings the invoice area down over the front of the return envelope and the final fold folds the top panel up to become the outgoing mail piece.
In an exemplary embodiment, the back of the third panel includes opening instructions. Also, preferably at least the side edge panels of the first, top panel includes opening instructions preprinted thereon.
The intermediate for the business form provided according to the invention is imaged in the simplexed mode and then folded and sealed in a conventional manner. When the end user receives the document, the two vertical sides are removed and then the remainder of the document is opened by breaking adhesive regions defined at the top and bottom, using a letter opener, index finger, or the like. The statement is then detached from the document. The recipient fills out the remittance portion and inserts it,.with a check into the return envelope and the envelope is sealed by wetting the adhesive flap of the reply envelope and applying it to the front of the return/reply mail piece.
As is apparent from the foregoing, the invention overcomes a number of barriers and satisfies the requirements of a mailer-type business form. The construction of the invention allows the check to be placed in the return envelope without folding and provides a top open return envelope, which gains wide customer acceptance. Finally, the construction of the invention can be imaged in a simplexed mode, which from a print processing stand point is an advantage, since all variable information can be provided on one face of the intermediate.
Thus, according to one aspect of the present invention, an intermediate for a mailer type business form comprises the following components: a substantially opaque quadrate sheet of paper having parallel top and bottom edges, parallel first and second side edges perpendicular to the top and bottom edges and first and second faces. First, second, and third fold lines are defined parallel to the top and bottom edges and divide the sheet into substantially equal-sized first, second, third, and fourth panels. In the illustrated embodiment, the first panel is defined between the top edge of the intermediate and the first fold line, the fourth panel is defined between the bottom edge and the third fold line, and the second and third panels are defined between the first and fourth panels. An outgoing address is provided on the first face of the first panel. The outgoing address area is of a size and material suitable for receiving outgoing address indicia either by directly printing on the form or by adhesive label application. A reply address area is defined on the second face of the fourth panel. The reply address is typically preprinted on the intermediate but may be variably printed where the mailer is imaged in a duplex mode. Like the outgoing address area, the reply address area is of a size and material suitable for receiving an address printed thereon or the application of an adhesive address label (printed or written).
First and second lines of weakness are formed in the first through fourth panels parallel to and spaced from each of the first and second side edges. These lines of weakness define tear-off strips providing for ready opening of a mailer constructed by C-Z-folding the sheet along the fold lines.
Permanent adhesive patterns are provided on the first face of the third and/or fourth panels, on the second face of the first and/or second panels and on the first face of the second panel and/or second face of the fourth panel for fixedly adhering the mailer in a folded configuration when the first, second, third and fourth panels are C-Z folded about the first, second, and third fold lines. Another permanent adhesive pattern, preferably including dots or strips of adhesive is disposed on the second face of the first panel adjacent the top edge thereof and/or on the second face of the second panel along and adjacent the second fold line and further on the first face of the second panel adjacent the first fold line and/or on the second face of the fourth panel adjacent the third fold line for securing the top and bottom edges of the C-Z folded mailer.